Tree swallows – spring arrives on a flash of blue wing

photo by Anne Greene

The tree swallow is a dart of a bird that winters as far south as Central America, Florida, and Baja and returns to New England meadows and marshes in April on a path of weaving bobs and streaming wires of iridescence. On the wing and in bad light Tree swallows can appear black on the back with a white belly, but when perched on a nesting box or dead branch the true colors of the swallow become clear, a rich, glossy violet. Swallows are aerial hunters of the finest form. They “hawk” insects on the wing and from afar appear engaged in a lunatic’s spiral. In spring swallows migrate in loose bands but come fall amass in huge flocks by the thousands. Tree swallows are cavity nesters and can be found in meadows where bluebird boxes are present or in the dead trees above a beaver pond. Watch for these aerial masters as they have returned to New England.

Protect the spring warblers one sip at a time

A recent article on American Association For The Advancement Of Science's website outlined the important role insectivores like warblers can play keeping coffee plantations healthy. 

Would you like a tree with your coffee? That may not sound like a good idea, but a new study suggests that mixing trees with coffee bushes could boost bird populations while improving crop yields. Among the chief threats bean growers face is the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei), an insect that lays its eggs after digging into coffee berries. Recent studies in Jamaica’s “high mountain” coffee farms suggest that introducing insect-eating warblers... continue reading 

The Daily Bird has addressed the issue of "bird friendly coffee" before and as more and more information unfolds it is ever more clear that preserving species means preserving land along all places in these tiny birds lives. From the mountain jungles of Costa Rica and Jamaica to the Texas coast, Mississippi valley, coastal marshes of the Northeast Unites States and Canadian boreal forests this is truly a massive, multinational conservation effort. 

One small step we can make is avoiding "sun coffee." This fast growing coffee viraital grows happily in large mono crop fields. It is cheap and easy and guess what it's the stuff we pour down our throats from all the Dunkin Donuts, 7-Elevens, and cheap store bought grounds. Make a change and buy only shade grown coffee and help protect important tropical habitat for "our" warblers.